1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a floating pump assembly preferably including a high capacity flow pump supported on a floatation assembly in an at least partially submerged location and in a predetermined orientation which substantially eliminates or at least minimizes the tendency of the floatation assembly to become unstable at least in terms of being further submerged into the body of water on which it is floating, during the activation and operation of the pump assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
The general concept of a floating pump has been known and utilized for a variety of different applications for many years. Such applications include, but are not limited to, drainage, irrigation, transfer pumping, water control at excavation sites, dredging, and others. In use, conventional pumps of the type referred to herein are frequently connected to some type of primary mover or power supply generally including a drive motor. The drive motor is connected in driving relation to a propeller, drive shaft or like mechanism which serves to create a flow of liquid from an inlet location to an outlet location. The transfer of water or any liquid being treated is thereby accomplished as intended.
By way of example only, floating pumps are commonly used in water treatment facilities as down-flow mixers or water aeration devices. As such, the pump housing, including the rotationally driven pump components therein, are typically disposed on some type of floating structure. As in most emergency and industrial applications, the pump housing and accordingly the path of fluid flow created by the operation of the pump are normally vertically oriented. In such a vertical orientation the drive motor or other power generating facility is located above but generally connected to the pump housing so that the power takeoff of the drive motor and the drive elements or working components thereof, are directly connected. Except in situations where the path of fluid flow is directed from an upper level of a body of water down towards the bottom or basin of the body of water, such as in down flow mixtures and certain aeration devices, the path of fluid flow is normally directed in the opposite direction. This is of course typical when floating pumps are used in a drainage application during heavy rain fall or in more common agriculture applications, such as for irrigation and the like.
However, regardless of the specific utilization of the floating pump, the physical structure and location of the power supply, operative components and floatation assembly are such as to typically maintain the pump housing in a vertical orientation. In such a vertical orientation, the power assembly used to drive the operative pump components is secured to the pump housing in a non-submerged location or is otherwise required to be maintained in an enclosed or sealed casing.
Accordingly, upon activation and continued operation known pump assemblies are frequently disoriented by being tilted and/or more deeply submerged in the body of water in which they are floating. Such instability results from the necessity of the floatation assembly to absorb the thrust force of the pump and the weight of the water as it fills the pump interior and the adjacent portions of an associated discharge or delivery conduit. As a result, the dimension and/or configuration of the floatation device or assembly included in many conventionally structured floating pumps must be significantly increased and/or enlarged. Indeed, the disadvantages of conventional floating pumps which include an oversized supporting float structure are significant, and as a result, the specific applications for which such floating pumps may be utilized may be limited.
Obviously, the above is not true in all uses for floating pumps. However, in many situations it is important to maximize the flow capacity of the floating pump, especially when attempting to transfer or otherwise treat large quantities of water. In such situations it would be extremely beneficial to have the ability of a unitized or self-contained floating pump assembly including a pump housing disposed in a predetermined orientation and capable of extremely large flow capacities. Such an improved floating pump assembly could then be driven by a heavy duty power assembly such as, but not limited to, an internal combustion engine. In such a preferred pump assembly, the power assembly could be mounted on a floatation assembly of compact size and dimension and effectively accomplish a forced flow of significantly large quantities of water through an associated, properly oriented pump housing without encountering the instability disadvantages of the type encountered by conventional floating pumps.
Further, in order to overcome many, if not all, of the known problems and disadvantages commonly associated with conventional floating pump assemblies of the general type set forth above, it is preferred that the pump housing, associated drive assembly and resulting path of fluid flow be disposed in the aforementioned predetermined orientation. The preferred predetermined orientation of the pump housing is such as to eliminate the need for an oversized floatation assembly while minimizing the tendency of the pump assembly to submerge deeper into the body of water and below the surface on which the floatation assembly is intended to float. The predetermined orientation of the pump housing, fluid drive assembly and outlet or discharge of the pump housing, would thereby serve to maintain a forced path of water flow through the pump housing. Importantly, the direction of the path of fluid or water flow would eliminate or significantly reduce any reactive thrust force being exerted on the floatation assembly which would cause its instability. Therefore, during the operation of the fluid drive assembly, as well as the transition thereof from a non-operative mode into an operative mode, any tendency of the floatation to be disoriented, such as by being forced into a deeper submerged position would be substantially eliminated or at least significantly reduced.
An improved floating pump assembly of the type generally set forth above, would therefore allow for the utilization of a more compact and manageable floatation assembly dimensioned and otherwise structured to support and maintain a heavy duty power supply, such as the aforementioned internal combustion engine, in an intended floating orientation. However, the size and/or configuration of the floatation assembly of the present invention would not have to be increased or expanded to overcome the tendency of the pump to be re-oriented into a more deeply submerged position in the body of the water, as is common during the start-up and operation of conventional floating pump structures.
The present invention is directed to a floatation assembly of the type structured to deliver a high capacity fluid flow thereby enabling it to serve as an effective and efficient water treatment or handling facility in a variety of different applications. In addition, the floatation assembly of the present invention is compact as well as being self-contained to the extent of having a pump housing, and the pumping components associated therewith, as well as a power assembly mounted on a single, relatively compact flotation assembly. The flotation assembly can therefore be efficiently transported from one site to another and operatively positioned on the body of water to be treated in a quick and efficient manner.
In a conventional application of a floating pump assembly, the pump housing and power assembly are typically assembled in a single housing or casing and mounted on a floating structure in a generally vertical orientation. As such, the inlet of the pump housing is submerged and the outlet thereof is located above the water surface for appropriate connection to some type of transfer conduit or the like. Therefore, conventional floating pumps of the type described herein are normally oriented such that a reactive or thrust force is exerted on the floatation assembly upon activation of the pump assembly. This reactive force tends to render the floatation assembly unstable including being forced deeper into the body of water. As a result, the size and weight of the floatation structure is frequently enhanced in an attempt to overcome such instability. The capacity of conventional floating pumps are somewhat restricted and many times must only be used in situations where a high capacity fluid flow is not required or expected. Naturally, under certain conditions a plurality of such floating pumps which collectively have the intended capacity to alleviate the emergency or floating conditions, may be required.
Accordingly, the floating pump assembly of the present invention overcomes the well recognized problems and disadvantages associated with conventional floating pump structures. More specifically, the present invention comprises a floatation assembly structured to float on a body of water and including the support platform or like support facility for the mounting of a power assembly thereon. As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, the power assembly is preferably in the form of a high output internal combustion engine, being diesel or gasoline driven, and being of a size and capacity to efficiently power a high capacity fluid drive assembly. The fluid drive assembly is an operative component of the pump and is at least partially mounted within a pump housing. Further, the power assembly is mounted on the support platform of the floatation assembly in either a non-submerged location or within a protected compartment of the floatation assembly which may be disposed below the water surface. In either embodiment, the power assembly is disposed in spaced, driving interconnection to the fluid drive assembly.
As will also be explained in greater detail hereinafter, the floatation assembly comprises, in at least one embodiment, a frame type structure which may include a protective cover, canopy, casing, etc. disposed in a protective position relative to the power assembly. The power assembly is thereby effectively protected from adverse ambient conditions, such as exist during bad weather conditions, even when it is located above deck in a relatively exposed position. Preferably, the protective cover is xe2x80x9cconvertiblexe2x80x9d in nature so as to be easily installed in its operative, protective position or removed therefrom as desired.
In at least one preferred embodiment of the present invention the floating pump assembly comprises an axial flow pump defined, at least in part, by the aforementioned fluid drive assembly disposed at least partially on the interior of the pump housing in fluid communication between the inlet and the outlet thereof. However, it is emphasized that the floating pump assembly of the present invention could also incorporate a mixed flow pump, a centrifugal flow pump, a multi-stage flow pump and others.
Accordingly, regardless of the type of pump structure utilized, the recognized disadvantages and problems associated with conventional floating pump assemblies are substantially overcome by orienting the pump housing and/or fluid drive assembly as well as inlet and outlet in a preferred and predetermined operative orientation. In such predetermined orientation, a path of fluid flow is created upon activation and operation of the fluid drive assembly, wherein the path of fluid flow extends through the pump housing from the inlet to the outlet. By way of example, the pump housing, fluid drive assembly and other operative components directly associated with pumping the water along the predetermined path, may define an axial flow pump. However, regardless of the particular pump structure utilized, the path of water flow through the pump housing and/or especially the orientation of the outlet as the water is discharged from the housing, should be such as to negate, minimize or substantially reduce the effect of the reactive or thrust force generated as water fills and is discharged from the pump housing.
Therefore, in its submerged orientation, the flow pump further overcomes the known disadvantages and problems of the type set forth above by being positioned in the aforementioned predetermined orientation. More specifically, the pump housing, fluid drive assembly and particularly the outlet of the flow pump are preferably arranged in a substantially horizontal orientation. As such, both the inlet and outlet of the pump housing are preferably maintained in a submerged position. This serves to establish the aforementioned path of fluid flow through the pump housing in a substantially horizontal direction of travel, dependent on the type of flow pump structure being utilized. Therefore, any reactive force tending to further submerge the floatation assembly or cause its instability, is eliminated or significantly reduced. As a result, there are no significant forces during the initial transfer of the fluid activation assembly from an inactive mode to an active mode or during the continuous operation of the fluid drive assembly which would create the problematic instability of the flotation assembly. The floatation assembly can therefore be of a smaller, more compact dimension and configuration, which of course must be sufficient to support the weight of the power assembly and the structural components of the floatation assembly itself in a floating orientation on the surface of the body of the water.
It is to be emphasized that when utilizing pump structures other than an axial flow pump, the predetermined orientation of the outlet or discharge end of the pump housing should preferably be substantially horizontal. As such, the disposition of other operative components of the flow pump in the aforementioned predetermined orientation could assume positions other than a true horizontal orientation and still serve to minimize the tendency of the floatation assembly to become unstable when the flow pump is operating.
Depending upon the particular practical application to which the floating pump assembly of the present invention is applied, a water transfer conduit may be connected directly to the outlet portion of the pump housing. Such transfer conduit may be of significant length and extend from a point off shore, where the floating pump assembly of the present invention is located, to a water delivery site on or beyond the shore line. In any event, it is to be emphasized that in at least one preferred embodiment of the present invention, both the inlet and the outlet of the pump housing are in a completely or at least partially submerged position. The path of fluid flow created by the operation of the fluid drive assembly and in particular the direction of water flow is oriented so as to minimize any reactive force being exerted on the floatation assembly which would cause its instability. The floatation assembly would not experience any tendency to be physically disoriented or be additionally submerged beyond its normal floating position.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more clear when the drawings as well as the detailed description are taken into consideration.